Daisy and Bob's Blog

Shaun White: My Hero

2010-03-10T15:22:00Z

I am totally in love with Shaun White, the world famous Olympic SnowBoard King of the World.   I love him.   I want to be his dog.

Then I found out from my friend, Uncle Erich of 2Dogs 2000Miles that Mr. Shaun already has a dog.   His name is Rambo and he is a French Bulldog.    Go figure.    Would you not think that Shaun needed a PitBull?   But he picked a Frenchie?   I am crushed.

So little Rambo goes EVERYWHERE with Shaun, and I am sitting here in Leesburg, in Virginia, doing not much.   Oh Boy.

Here is a picture of Rambo today:

And please to note that he has his very own, hand knit, Olympic sweater... with - Shaun's name on it too!   Oh boy.      I haven't had a new sweater in ages.

And here is Rambo when he was just a baby..... he is doing his imitation of a Snow Board:


Here is another baby picture;



So, I am forced to admit that Rambo is pretty darn cute.     But still.   Did Shaun even think about getting a PitBull?     I hope he is reading my blogging and maybe I can find out if he would like to meet me.     Since Rambo is MUCH smaller than I am, I think perhaps we could be friends.   After all..... I would do anything to meet Shaun, my HERO!

Love and Licks,

Bob

....... where is my snow board?

   Here is my Hero..... I think he is looking for me.   Maybe?

Happy Birthday to Our WillowBee

2010-03-09T20:48:00Z

                      Today is our little WillowBee's very first Birthday.   Yahoo!
                                                   We are all going to get cake tonight, I am hoping.



I thought that if I asked my Mouse Person very nicely, he would help me find someplace to plan a Birthday Party Extra Ordinary.     I found Dog Birthdays and Parties and it seems to me that there are some very helpful ideas on this place.     So you should check it out.     Here is the picture that is on the very first page:



                                   Needless to say, this picture is looking NOTHING like our Bee.

Anyway...... check this out too!   Go get your Mouse and have him take you to Fun Stuff for Dogs     Did you know there is now CAKE MIX IN A BOX -- for dogs? Yes, indeed.     Now this is a GOOD IDEA, says my Mom.    Now that she knows about this, everyone can have a Birthday Cake of their very own this year.

You can read more about this Dog Cake in a Box at PuppyCake

We think we would like the Banana the best, but there is also "Chocolate"....... Ta Da!



In case you have forgotten what little Miss Bee looked like as a baby, here are her "baby" pictures.... or at least a few of them.



This was one of the very first pictures we have of our little girl......when she still had on her piece of rick-rack, which is how her original parents could tell them all apart.      Willow was Purple.    One of her sisters was Peach, and guess what? That is still her name to this very day. (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PEACH)

   Here was the baby, wearing her designer coat from George of San Francisco.... which, I might add, was my coat originally.     I looked mighty fine in it, too.    But because I am a good big brother, I let Willow borrow it when it was nippy last Spring.

And then, Miss Willow had her first "official" photo shoot from our wonderful friend and Photo Taker, Bev Hollis and let me tell you, that was one crazy photo shooting.

                                                       Isn't Willow just the most beautiful thing ever?   And she still is!

Here is a photo graph that our friend, Ms. Diane took of our girl, while she was lounging on the couch.   (Willow was lounging, not Ms. Diane)

You can see that our girl has grown quite large (even though she is still a lot smaller than her own Brother and Sisters).......... and then, of course, what is a birthday like without a new toy?



I think this toy might be all of our new Best Friend in the Wonderful Toy Department. It is called a Monsterpull, and you can see there are quite a few to choose from, but of course, our Birthday Girl needed to have THE PINK ONE.

Silly Pulls and Monster Pulls ---- WHAT WE FOUND WITH OUR MOUSE PERSON

Made of Eco-Friendly recycled fabrics, just like the original Pentapulls. Each toy has 4 layers of ballistic nylon, covered with a tough plush exterior. The Silly Pulls have two tennis balls, 5 squeakers, and flat embroidered details. The Monster Pulls have flat embroidered details and multiple squeakers. This is an excellent toy for pulling, shaking and general rough housing. This is not a chew toy, do not leave with an unattended dog.

SEE THAT LAST LINE...... do not leave with an unattended dog........... Mom says it is because UNATTENDED DOGS can get into a LOT of trouble. Not me, however. I'm a good boy. HA.

So Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday to our very own WillowBee....... crazy though she is, we still LOVE HER LOTS!

Bob
....... big Bro to little Will

Bark N' Bubbles of Leesburg

2010-03-08T17:49:00Z

I made a horrible mistake in my reporting from the other day, and so now, I must print a correction so that no one is mad at me.

When I blogged about Bark 'N Bubbles and their BIG Grand Opening in our Town of Leesburg, I said the owner was our friend Pam Ahart.

Actually, the business of Bark 'N Bubbles is a Franchise when it comes to the store in Fairfax and now the one in Leesburg. The original store in Ashburn and the store location in Herndon belong to Miss Pam and her partner Miss Dani, and it is Miss Pam's idea to do the Franchise thingy for the other locations.

Some people might be uncertain about what a Franchise is, so I asked my Friends, the Mouse People who work at Wikipedia, to define that for us.   They said:

Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business, such as:

Chain store, retail outlets which share a brand and central management

An exclusive right, for example to sell branded merchandise

Media franchise, ownership of the characters and setting of a film, video game, book, etc., particularly in North American usage

        I felt awful that I had reported my facts incorrectly.

So Bark 'N Bubble of Leesburg is proudly owned by Ms. Sandra Cox and you can contact her at sandi@barknbubblesdogwash.com or call her on the telephone at 703 777 6269.   I hope she will forgive me for having an error in my reporting.

I don't think I can remember if I ever made any other mistakes, or if this was my first.    Actually, Mom says I have made plenty of them, but perhaps it is better to forget and just move forward.

                                           Anyway, I am very sad and very sorry.

Please go to visit the Leesburg location of Bark 'N Bubbles and tell them how sorry Bob is about his mistake.

Love and Licks,

Bob

Loudoun Youth Benefit Auction

2010-03-08T17:22:00Z

Hi Everyone

I wanted to tell you about a very worthwhile cause and an upcoming event to help support them.    I am talking to you now about Loudoun Youth, Inc. and if you can find your lazy Mouse Person, wake him up and ask him nicely, then perhaps he will fly you away to visit them at Loudoun Youth, Inc

This is what Loudoun Youth is all about:

Loudoun Youth, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to coordinate community resources to assist in the development of youth programs and to create leadership opportunities for young people. We support and develop programs that provide Loudoun teens positive out-of-school activities in safe, nurturing environments and help teens become confident and contributing members of the community. There is no investment more critical to our future than our investment in our youth.

Here at Everything & The Dog we believe that supporting organizations who are able to help young people is very important, because after all - the young teen today could grow up to be your next Veterinarian (or people doctor), or for that matter, President of the United States.      Maybe they will do wonderful work that will help to put a stop to Dog Fighting!   You can never tell.

So, on Saturday, March 13 from 7pm to 10pm, their will be a Live (and a Silent) Aucion to benefit this fine organization.

Many wonderful items will be on "the block" so to speak..... like - get this:

A Luxury European Vaction to Switzerland, London and Monte Carlo
A Disney World Resort Family Adventure
The Ultimate Girlfriends Los Angeles shoppping spree including a personal shopper
and of course.................... a gift certificate from us, Everything & The Dog, LLC.

Frankly, I would like to go on the European Vacation, but Mom says that getting a passport for me might present some difficulty, so I should go on the Girlfriends Shopping Spree.       I think my Mom is teasing me again. What do you think?

In any event, the EVENT will be at the Creighton Model Home at Grenata, 41194 Grenata Preserve Place, Leesburg, Virginia (this location is off of Evergreen Mill Road, in case you want to know and on your GPS it would be Bryn Bach Lane)

You can register online by having your Mouse Person take you to Loudoun Youth Spring Auction Info   The registration fee is $10 if you do it ahead of time (that's called Advanced Registration and that closes on Wednesday, March 10), or $20 at the door.

Sponsorship and auction item donation information are also available online or you can contact our friend, Christina Druther at cdruther@loudounyouth.org or your can call her at 703 989 6781.

This promises to be a TERRIFIC, FUN, WONDERFUL EVENING, so please be sure to tell everyone that Bob, the Boy Bloginator Pit Bull Reporter Extra Ordinary has told you all about the night.

Love and LIcks,

Bob

No More Dirty Dogs!

2010-03-06T17:40:00Z

Guess what?

Our friend Pam Ahart who owns Bark n' Bubbles, has decided to open a new Bark & Bubbles location in my very own town: Leesburg, Virginia. I have mixed feelings about this. Whereas I am certainly happy for all my friends who may be in need of a bath (or a spa day), I'm not overly thrilled about getting a bath myself. I know it is necessary for beauty AND health, but there is just something so scary about getting my toes in that tub.

Maybe Miss Pam will come and hold my paw? I'll have to ask her.

BARK 'N BUBBLES OF LEESBURG
GRAND OPENING!

COME JOIN US!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Sunday, March 7, 2010

11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Celebrate the new location with us and wash your pup as well! Browse through their great retail selection of eco-friendly collars, leashes and toys and their all natural treats!

* Enjoy the free give-a-ways and sign up to win the prizes!!

* Both Saturday and Sunday you can enter to win a FREE

TOP DOG WASH

* Saturday RAFFLE - FREE Lupine collar and leash set!

* Sunday RAFFLE - enter to win a FREE pencil Portrait Drawing of your Pet!

545 E. Market Street, Ste. F

Leesburg, VA 20176

703/777-6269

www.barknbubblesdogwash.com/leesburg

We really are thrilled that our Miss Pam has decided to expand to this new location in Leesburg. In addition to doing a great job in keeping us doggies clean and fresh, there are always lots of Charity Events and other special things that happen at all of the Bark n' Bubbles locations.

For example:
Charity Dog Wash!

Ashburn Bark 'N Bubbles

Saturday, March 13, 2010

11:00 AM-3:00 PM

Benefiting Paws4people

"Providing Animal-Assisted Therapy to Children and Adults in Loudoun County"

"The Mission of paws4peopleTM foundation is to enhance the lives of special and regular education students, seniors, and the seriously ill or disabled, by utilizing the "Special Powers" of canine companionship displayed by highly trained Assistance Dogs; including Service Dogs, Educational Assistance K-9s, Rehabilitative Assistance Dogs and Social Therapy Dogs in specialized educational, private placements and therapeutic visitation programs."

<:od>

So, you heard it from me, Blogging Bob, your PitBull Reporter Extra Ordinary! When you go to get your bath and day of beauty, tell them that your friend, Bob, sent you!

Love and Licks

2010 Pet Remembrance Candlelighting Ceremony

2010-03-04T14:12:00Z

Tomorrow is a very special event that everyone will want to be knowing about.

It is the 2010 Pet Remembrance Candlelighting Ceremony. This is what we received from our very wonderful friend, who is Dr. Krisi Erwin

Hello everyone! I was hoping that you all could help spread the word about the 2010 Pet Remembrance Candle Lighting Ceremony. It will be held on Friday March 5, 2010 at St. James' Episcopal Church in Leesburg, VA. Participants are invited to arrive at 6pm for light refreshments and the ceremony will start around 6:30pm. I have invited an interfaith hospice chaplain to help lead the service and my hope is also to have some live music and readings. The candle part of the service will begin at 7pm and there will be a slide show with pet pictures during that time. Participants are also welcome to bring pictures of their pet that night to hang on the bulletin boards. Pictures with names can be submitted for inclusion in the 2010 Honor Roll even if their owners cannot attend the ceremony. The e-mail address for this is: petcandlelightceremony@gmail.com.

Here are some insights to give you background on this ceremony: The Pet Remembrance Candle Lighting Ceremony was started by the Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets in California (www.pethospice.org). Their first ceremony was held in 2005 and they are hoping to make it an international event. They invite all people, all over the world to light a candle at 7pm on March 5 and allow it to burn for one hour in memory of their lost pets. This ceremony was first celebrated in Loudoun County in 2009 and there were ~45 pets included in the Roll of Honor. It was a beautiful night of healing for all those who participated and a wonderful way to celebrate beloved pets that had passed away. I am hoping to once again bring this ceremony to you all as a community service for all the pet lovers in our area. I have already had very generous help from several people in our community (Dr. Tyrell with Chesapeake Veterinary Cardiology, Connie Mannix from Butler, and St. James' Episcopal Church) to help get this set up and hope this year's ceremony will be a greater success than last year's!

I would greatly appreciate it if you could help to send out this information to friends, family, and members of your organizations. Our pets serve very important roles in all of our lives and they deserve a night of celebration and remembrance for all of the gifts they bring to us!

Please feel free to e-mail me or call with any questions! I appreciate your help in getting the word out on this very worthwhile event!!!

Sincerely,
Dr. Krisi Erwin
(540) 338-8353
petcandlelightceremony@gmail.com

So I am spreading the word, since I am a good PitBull Reporter, Boy Bloginator, Extra Ordinary. Please try to attend.

Love and Licks,

Bob

Meet Giant George

2010-03-02T16:15:00Z

Oh My, oh My, oh My........

I am afraid. Very afraid.      You know I don't really do well with dogs too much bigger than I am.    My friend Moose at My Squeaky Ball is the biggest friend I have, and even with Moose, I am not comfortable (sorry about that nip I gave you, my friend).

So when I heard about George, I had to put myself into my crate for a little time out.   It makes me quake just to think about him.



Here is what I found out about George:

Giant George can sit up in a chair like a human, but for his flight from Tucson to Chicago to visit Oprah on her television show, producers bought him tickets for four seats in the plane's middle section. When you're the newly crowned Guinness World Record holder of Tallest Living Dog and Tallest Dog Ever, you deserve a little room to spread out.

The 4-year-old Great Dane measures 3 ft., 7 in. from paw to shoulder, weighs nearly 250 lbs., and beat the previous record holder Titan's height by 0.75 inches.

"This is a hotly contested record and after some controversy and conflicting media reports we decided to send our own official adjudicator to put the final stamp on this record holder. We can indeed say now that George is the top dog," Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records, said in a statement.

Guinness officials visited George in Arizona, where he lives with owners David and Christine Nasser. A vet measured George, the record was confirmed, and the celebration began — not that the pooch had any idea!

"He's just the sweetest, kindest dog, and he doesn't realize what all the hoopla is about," Guinness spokesperson Jamie Panas tells PEOPLEPets.com. "I was completely awestruck. Working here, I meet different record holders of all unique sizes, and I was definitely taken aback by his size."

I don't think it's really healthy to be that big and still be a dog.

Yippers

Love,

Bob
........ pretty short in Leesburg, VA
............ not looking to meet George anytime soon

Draw the Dog

2010-02-26T17:16:00Z

I have blogged before about my friends Jim and Bruce and their very wonderful and amazing web-site which you should immediately go to visit.    Wake up your Mouse Person and ask him to fly you away to see them at DRAW THE DOG

The reason I am about to Blog some more news about them is because today, when we got our Daily Drawing in our E-Mailing Box, we also learned about their first ever collector's print which is called Sweet Dreams.

Oh Wow.   This is so amazing and we think that everyone should order one of these....... Everyone & Their Dog! HA.   That's a bit of a joke, because you know our company is called Everything & The Dog

So here is a little thumbnail of the gorgeous color print



When you go to visit the Draw the Dog web-place, then you will be able to see this much bigger and find out all the information so that you can order one for yourself.   (I could have made my picture bigger, but I wanted to tease you --- HA)

Here is what Jim & Bruce say about their idea to do this wonderful drawing:

For quite some time, Jim and I have been talking about creating a really special artwork we could offer to the Draw the Dog community — something that captures the unique bond between dogs and their owners.

At long last, Jim found the time to create that treasure. It’s called Sweet Dreams, and it’s our first-ever collector’s print. We hope you agree that Sweet Dreams captures a slice of life living with dogs.

We’ve literally spared no expense to ensure that the color and clarity of each print precisely matches Jim’s original artwork. We have retained a top quality art printer to create these 18″ by 24″ prints (the image area is 14″ x 20″.) Each one will be printed on handsome Hahnemuhle German Etching 310 gsm paper.

Even at the small size pictured here, you can see the care Jim has taken to create this artwork. Look at the shading and his delicate use of colors. I’ve seen the proofs, and they are gorgeous.

Reserve your print today.

We’ll be accepting reservations until March 15, after which time we will authorize our fine art printer to proceed. While it is possible that we will print more of this artwork at a future date, to protect the value of the initial edition, we will price any subsequent editions a minimum of 20% higher than the current price.

Bruce

Because I, Bob - the Boy Bloginator & PitBull Reporter Extra Ordinary - was the first ever Pit Bull to have a cartoon about, I have a special place in my heart for Mr. Jim and Mr. Bruce. Every day we get a wonderful cartoon which draws itself right in front of our noses and I sit by my Mom and watch the magic happen. And now there are four PitBull Cousins of mine in the drawing list and they are all wonderful. Check them all out -- but start with ME FIRST!

So Near – inspired by Hurley of Charles Town, WV

Vicious – inspired by Lucy of New Haven, CT

A Little Bad Weather – inspired by Lazarus of NY, NY

A Dear – inspired by Bob of Leesburg, VA

Happy Friday to all my friends and cousins. Go Visit Jim & Bruce. Order your Print. Take the rest of the day off.

Love and Licks,

Bob
--------- friend to the deer in our woods
.................. not so happy about the racoons under the garden shed
......................... tired of snow, wind and bad weather
.................................... ready for Spring

Important Information: Drug Recall

2010-02-25T14:53:00Z

Hi Everyone

This is pretty scary stuff, but my Uncle Erich of 2 Dogs 2000 Miles asked me to share this information with everyone who might be reading my Blogging. He reminded me that I am, most certainly, a Boy Bloginator PitBull Reporter Extra Ordinary, and that it was necessary to spread bad news as well as good news.

So, we have discovered that there are some drug re-calling that you all need to know about, and here is what I have discovered:

A commonly used injectable veterinary drug manufactured by Teva Animal Health, Inc. -- ketamine hydrochloride -- has been recalled. The original ketamine hydrochloride recall has been expanded to include ketamine manufactured by Teva but sold under a wide range of other brand and product names.

A second commonly used injectable veterinary drug called butorphanol is reportedly being recalled as well, but no details have been publicly announced.

Due to the lack of widespread knowledge about the recalls, concerned pet owners and shelter workers -- and especially those whose pets may be undergoing any type of surgical procedure -- should speak with their veterinarian to ensure that she or he is aware of the recalls, and is not using any of the recalled drugs.

Ketamine hydrochloride is an injectable anesthetic agent commonly used for surgical anesthesia in veterinary clinics and animal shelters. Butorphanol is an injectable opiate used to control pain from surgical procedures in dogs and cats.

A press release dated Dec. 21, 2009, posted on the FDA website stated that the ketamine recall was the result of “an increased trend in serious adverse events associated with this product, including lack of effect, prolonged effect, and death.” The recall took place following the questionable deaths of five cats undergoing anesthesia with ketamine.

Read the press release on the ketamine recall.

View the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) list of product names and associated lot numbers affected by the Teva Animal Health ketamine hydrochloride recall.

There is much more information and a very long article about re-calls on this web-site: SF Gate ( San Francisco Chronicle) That article starts off like this:

What if your veterinarian was using a recalled drug -- and didn't know it?

That's not a hypothetical question. On Sept. 4, at least two veterinary drugs made by Teva Animal Health, Inc., a division of Israeli-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, were recalled by the FDA, which shut the company down in July. But few veterinarians or pet owners were aware of the recall until the end of December.

Please take a few minutes and have your Mouse Person take you off to the San Francisco Chronicle site and read the entire article. Do it now!

All of this is very scary business and it is so important that whenever we have information like this we share with one another and spread the word. This is a BIG WORLD and it is hard to keep up with everything that is happening, but I am happy that my Extra Ordinary Reporting Skills (and my Uncle Erich) have made it possible for me to help in spreading this news.

Love and Licks,

Bob

Lily is Crazy

2010-02-24T16:26:00Z

Have you ever heard the term Stir Crazy? How about Cabin Fever?

My Mom has explained both of these to me in great detail, and obviously our LIly of the Valley is suffering from both of these ailments.

Here is proof:

I realize that these topsy-turvy silly pictures of Lily aren't the most flattering pose, but hey.... smooshing yourself around on the couch takes care of a lot of boredom issues. HA.

Love and LIcks,

Bob
...... big brother to Lily of the Valley

Safe Travels, Daddy

2010-02-23T15:03:00Z

We sadly learned that Daddy, beloved dog (and PitBull) of Cesar Milan, has passed away.     He is on his way to meet our Princess Daisy, and I KNOW she will be waiting for him with open paws.    Daisy would have loved Daddy had she been able to meet him while they were both here, but I know that she will take care of him at The Bridge.    After all, Daisy can teach anyone to shop, and perhaps Daddy is ready for internet shopping lessons. Or Not.      No matter, Daisy will keep him happy and busy.

Here is a photo of them that I found on the "net" with the help of my Mouse Person and Google (I love Google, don't you?)



Frankly, I don't think this is a very good shot of Cesar, but then again, maybe he thought he was "lookin' good in the hood" when it was taken.    Hint to Cesar --- next time, full face shot and please smile.   Daddy looks pretty good however.

Here is what I found about Daddy so if you never "met" him, you will know about his life.

The familiar and ever-present canine sidekick to Cesar Millan has died.

Daddy, a pit bull that frequently made the rounds with the TV personality and dog trainer, passed away at age 16, surrounded by his family of human caretakers.

The loyal companion to Millan had successfully battled cancer and endured chemotherapy.

The dog trainer is known for his popular television show, “The Dog Whisperer” and for his Dog Psychology Center in Los Angeles. He has made appearances in Orange County to promote his books and training materials, most recently with a visit in October to Passionate Pet’s grand opening in Irvine.

Millan is known for his ability to rehabilitate aggressive or traumatized dogs. He emphasizes training the dog owner first by teaching them to put exercise and discipline first over affection.

“I train people, not dogs,” Millan says.

If you would like to say some words to Cesar about how wonderful you thought Daddy was, you can do it by going with your Mouse Person to:   Memorial: Fans of Daddy and Millan can leave a message at a page dedicated to the dog.

I hope that Cesar knows about our own Luke - Hudson & Murphy because I think that Mr. Cesar would support what Luke and da' boys are doing for cancer research.   Maybe you could make a small contribuition to 2dogs2000miles in honor of Daddy.

Love and LIcks,

Bob
----------sad in Leesburg, Virginia

Safe Travels, Daddy, my friend.   May the Princess take good care of you and may you always be safe until you meet your two legged family again. I am crying now.
Bob

More New Friends

2010-02-19T17:50:00Z

I love the fact that my sister, Lydia, is the owner of our wonderful company, Everything & The Dog because it means I have a constant source of new friends.

Here is my newest friend. His name is Sammie, and he is a French BullDog.


Today was the first day that Sammie had a mid-day visit from my sis, and they are already the best of friends.   I wanted to go along and kiss his little face, but Lydia said I had to stay home and "hold down the fort".   Whatever.

Do you know about French BullDogs?    I asked my Mouse Person to help me go to Wikipedia, and we looked up the Frenchies. Here is what we learned!

The French Bulldog is a small companion breed of dog. The name suggests that France is the country of origin, but, in fact, the Americans and British may have played a larger role in the breed's development. The dogs are commonly called the Frenchie and are nicknamed "clowns" and frog dogs.

While theories abound about the origin of the French Bulldog, the most popular is that lace workers from England in the mid-1800s brought smallish English Bulldogs with them, when they sought work in northern France. Some breed historians claim that they were crossed with terriers and probably with pugs.^[1] The little bulldogs became very popular as ratters and loyal companions. Soon, their numbers swelled. Meanwhile, breeders in England seized on the opportunity to sell undersized specimens of an old breed to fanciers as a "new" breed, including the "tulip" eared puppies, which cropped up at times in bulldog litters. French bulldogs were originally bred as ratters, but are now bred as lap dogs and companions.

The magazine "Country Life", in the 29 April 1899 takes up the story: "Some five-and-thirty years ago in fact, [i.e. about 1865], the small-sized or light-weight Bulldog was common in this country; so much so that dogs of the breed that scaled over 28 lbs were not encouraged at such shows as Birmingham, which was at that period the most important exhibition of its kind in England. Then by some freak of fashion the Toy Bulldog became all the rage in Paris, with the result that the celebrated Bill George, of Canine Castle, Kensal New Town, the most eminent dog dealer of his or any other day, received carte blanche commissions from French customers to procure them light-weight Bulldogs, and by this means England was denuded of all the best specimens".^[2]

French Bulldog circa 1915

As the new, smaller bulldogs gained popularity in France, they became favorites of the Parisian "Belles De Nuit" - the street walkers. One reason for this is that when strolled, the exotic looking dogs brought attention to their owner, and gave potential customers a legitimate reason to chat with her. Another is that the docile breed was content to nap for short stretches when brought to hotel rooms, without making a fuss. Breed historians can still sometimes turn up notorious "French Postcards" bearing images of scantily clad French prostitutes posing with their little "Bouledogues Français". The aura of notoriety that ownership of the little dogs conveyed made them a fashionable way for the well-to-do classes to show off how daring they could be, and they soon became favorites of the "artistic" set across Europe.

Photos dating to around this time show the Russian royal family posing alongside their French bulldogs, and they imported several of the little dogs from France. Other famous fanciers included Toulouse-Lautrec, the author Colette and King Edward VII. A French bulldog, insured for the, at that time, astronomical sum of $750, was on board the ill-fated Titanic.

It is inarguable that without the influence of dedicated, turn-of-the-century American fanciers the breed would not be what it is today. It is they that organized the very first French bulldog club in the world, and it was they who insisted that the "bat" ear so associated with the breed today was correct. Until that time, French bulldogs were shown with either the "bat" or "rose" ear.

All in all, French bulldogs are an international breed, with breeders of many nations being responsible for the creation of the dogs we know today.

Isn't this all very interesting? I am especially fascinated by the part about the "Belles De Nuit". Ha. Of course, I am. Mom says I am a bad, bad boy. Oh for heaven sake. It is just for research puposes. I'm a reporter after all, and this is a very interesting fact.

So Sammie, our new friend, is a perfect example of a French BullDog today and we LOVE his ears. They are huge. And perfect. Just like the rest of him.

Welcome to our family, little Sammie!

Love and Licks,

Bob
Boy PitBull Reporter Extra Ordinary
......... finder of unusual facts

Out of the Blizzard, Into the Sunshine

2010-02-17T15:53:00Z

That was some Blizzard we had last week.    It came on my Mom's Birthday! Can you imagine? Not many people get their very own Blizzard for a Birthday Gift.    I told Mom that i arranged the entire thing, but I don't think she belived me.

It was a nice day other than the fact that we couldn't leave our property ---- nor were we able to get out for several days thereafter.   Things are back to normal now, and I'm in the Blogging Zone again.     I have missed Blogging, but Mom - who controls the thumbs - said she was just too depressed for words.   I guess having a Birthday and a Blizzard all on one day is more than these old ones can handle.
HA.

Here is a picture of one of our access roads a few days after the big storm.



This is called Loudoun Orchard Road.    If you turn right out of our driveway and go up a little way you can connect with Loudoun Orchard and then get across to Harmony Church, which we figured was clear.   HA. We had to call our wonderful neighbor to help remove some of the snow drifts across Loudoun Orchard and after many, many, many cold hours, we got OUT!      Our own road, which is named Mt. Gilead, was totally impassable at this point in time.     Now, we can get in and out pretty easy, but our own property is still pretty scary.   Yesterday, Mr. Pat was able to dig out his own car, so of five vehicles, we now have three operational.

Fortunately, there was chocolate cake!



Since we could not go anywhere on the 10th - the Birthday Day and the Big Blizzard Day, my Omi (who is Mr. Pat's Mom and is from Germany), made a homemade German Dinner for my Mom's Birthday.   Oh Yum.    We got some little bites.     And Mr. Pat made the cake.   Notice, please, that it is in the shape of a BONE   Pretty appropriate.     It was DELICIOUS according to Mom.   Dogs can't have chocolate, although I heard it on good authority that Lily Bug got just the tinest little lick.    Bah!

Our wonderful friend Bev Hollis who is perhaps one of the best photo taking people in the whole world sent us this beautiful picture that she took at her own home in downtown Leesburg, Virginia.



This doesn't even look real, does it?    But it was.

So all of our area was a WINTER WONDERLAND.     Unfortunately, this caused severe problems for most people and many folks got stuck and some didn't have any electricity and it was very scary.    But today, Wednesday, February 17th, one week after the BIG BLIZZATD OF 2010, we are all safe, and secure and things are getting back to normal.

I'm glad, cause you know what?    I have a major case of the PitBull Zoomies, and no where to ZOOM!

Love,

Bob
---- Boy WeatherMan with a BackCast
.......... and Happy Birthday to my Mom

The Friday News Round-Up

2010-02-05T18:22:00Z

I have decided that if the shows we listen to on the NPR (National Public Radio, in case you didn't know) --- if those shows can have a Friday News Round-Up, that we can too.   It sounds very important, doesn't it?   And as you know, I am an Important Boy Bloginator PitBull Reporter Extra-Ordinary, so I need an important topic for my Friday Blogging.

So, let's start off by reminding everyone that today is Friday, the end of the working week and the start of a fun filled week-end.   It's always important to have Fun Filled Week-Ends.

We are in the starting phase of a HUGE SNOWSTORM.    As you know, I was blogging about that just a couple of days ago, and we are watching the white stuff fall on our home right at this very minute.     It started this morning at 10 and now it is 1:30 and already my Mom's little Honda car is almost covered up entirely.    Supposedly we might get as much as 30 inches before this is all over.     I hope that Rusty and Scarlett who are very small, don't get lost in a drift.   I would have to rescue them, and whereas I know I can do it, I hope I don't have to.   What if I got stuck? Someone would then have to come and rescue me. Yippers.

Second important news of the DAY.      The Today Show had Mr. Luke and da' boys - Hudson and Murphy, on it's program today.   It was very, very exciting to watch our friends on IMPORTANT NATIONAL TELEVISION.     We are hoping that this will bring a lot more attention to the wonderful work that Mr. Luke and Huds and Murph are doing to help in cancer research.

Mr. Luke looked mighty fine and Hudson got to sprawl out on the couch right in front of the camera's...... Murphy presented his "not so best side" to the camera most of the time, but we forgave him for being shy.

Here is what our Uncle Erich had to say about today's event.
The Today Show! OK, by now you must know that Luke, Hudson, and Murphy will be on The Today Show, Friday, February 5, 2010. Right now they're camped down the street from the studios in The Muse Hotel (http://www.themusehotel.com/ ), only a few blocks away, and will be walking, accompanied by `Mommy Ginger' to the studio in the morning. Ginger said she flew in from Memphis just to make sure everyone got to the studio on time, but I think she secretly wants to meet Matt and Meredith. Everyone's to be there by 7AM EST. When I spoke to Ginger tonight, she'd just finished brushing Murphy and the Concierge had dropped off 2 dog bowls and 2 (way too small) beds for The Boys in Luke's room. (Yeah, like Hudsy and Murph are going to sleep on the floor. HA!)

How exciting this all is.    I would like to be on the Today Show.   I wonder if Mr. Luke told them about me, Bob, and what a good PitBull Reporter I am.
I deserve some press too, I think.

Unfortunately, the segment that was featuring Mr. Luke, got a bit cut off at the end, and Mr. Luke didn't get to talk about the NEW campaign which is to be called TWO MILLION DOGS: TWO MILES.     But here is what you can do.

Wake up your lazy (and possibly snowed in) Mouse Person and have him fly you to:   2 MILLION DOGS .   When you arrive you can Pledge A Dog   --------which is:    the rounding up of 2 million dogs to walk for cancer! This is a nationwide effort to end cancer today by submitting your dog's name, a bit of information about you and a way to contact you.    THAT WAY, WHEN THE CAMPAIGN ROLLS OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YOU WILL BE A PART OF IT.

Remember: You heard it here on the Friday News Round-Up, From Bob.    We can do this, one paw at a time!



MORE NEWS BULLETINS:   Here are some important things that happened on February 5th through-out history.

On this day...

1631 Rhode Island, founder, Roger Williams arrives in Boston from England
1663 Earthquake in Canada
1783 Sweden recognizes US independence
1816 Rossini's Opera "Barber of Seville" premieres in Rome
1817 1st US gas company incorporated, Baltimore (coal gas for street lights)
1825 Hannah Lord Montague of New York creates 1st detachable shirt collar
1861 1st moving picture peep show machine is patented by Samuel Goodale of Cincinnati
1881 Phoenix AZ incorporates
1901 Loop-the-loop centrifugal RR (roller coaster) patented by Ed Prescot
1921 Yankees purchase 20 acres in the Bronx for Yankee Stadium
1922 Reader's Digest magazine 1st published
1931 Maxine Dunlap becomes 1st US women to earn a glider pilot license
1937 1st Charlie Chaplin talkie, "Modern Times", is released
1940 Glenn Miller & his Orchestra record "Tuxedo Junction"
1942 "Woman of the Year", starring Hepburn & Tracy, opens at Radio City
1945 Big Racket becomes fastest race horse at 69.6 kph (440 yards/20.8 seconds)
1948 Dick Button becomes 1st US figure skating Olympics champion
1953 "Peter Pan" by Walt Disney opens at Roxy Theater, NYC
1967 "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" premieres on CBS (later ABC, NBC)
1969 US population reaches 200 million
1969 Vince Lombardi, becomes part owner, vice president, general manager & head coach of Redskins
1971 Apollo 14, 3rd US manned Moon expedition, lands near Fra Mauro; Alan Shepard & Edward Mitchell (Apollo 14) walk on Moon for 4 hours
1973 Comic strip "Hagar The Horrible" debuts
1974 Maximum speed on Autobahn reduced to 100 kph
1978 Fred Newman makes 88 consecutive basketball free throws blindfolded
1981 Largest Jell-O made (9,246 gallons of watermelon-flavor) in Brisbane
1987 Dow Jones average closes above 2,200 for 1st time
1989 Kareem Abdul-Jabar becomes 1st NBA player to score 38,000 points
1994 "Where On Earth Is Carmen San Diego" debuts on Fox TV

I think facts like this are an important part of The Friday News Round-UP.     What if someone came along and asked you an important question and you didn't know the answer? For instance, I think knowing about the 9,246 gallons of Watermelon Jello is a critical fact.

AND IN CLOSING........ Here is my pick for Bob's Buddies Blog of the Week!

Have your Mouse Person take you straight away to visit my friend Holly, at A Life Aquatic    Here is a picture of Miss Holly in the snow.



Does it not look like Holly is floating on a cloud?

Holly is living on a boat in Baltimore Harbor and her Blogging is very entertaining, so I have made her the first of my official Bob's Blogging Buddies.       I think you will like hearing what Miss Holly has to say.

So.

That is all the Important News I can think of for now.     I'm sure I have forgotten about a lot of other important stuff, but this is only my very first Friday News Round-Up and I have, no doubt, a lot to learn about rounding up.

Love and LIcks,

Bob
.......... worried about being snowed under
................ proud of Luke, Hudson & Murphy
...................... pledged to 2 Million Dogs
............................... reporter of interesting facts and
............................................ friend of Holly

My Friend Moose

2010-02-03T18:51:00Z

I got a very nice comment from my friend Moose. You remember, Moose, don't you? And his Mom, Phoebe? Miss Phoebe (and Moose) are the wonderful creators of My Squeaky Ball and I have told you before that My Squaky Balls are my favorite toy ever in the entire known world. Ever. I could not sleep at night if I couldn't squeak my ball and annoy my Mom for at least 30 minutes every night.

Anyway.... this is what Moosie said about my WeatherBlogging.

I’m looking forward to hearing your forecast, Bob. You can always revise it afterwards in your backcast.

Here I am enjoying the blizzard… I was the only one who could leap around since Tara, Tipper, Pokey and Tiki are too short.

Your faithful friend (even though you tried to bite me),

Moose



Moose is, as you might recall, a Great Dane, and just for the record, I did not try to bite him on the nose. I was only lifting his lip to see if he was hiding balls.   Geeze.


So, as you can see...... Moose is very good at playing snow-plow.    I must remember that when next we need our road fixed. HA.

Oh and guess what else?    Ms. Phoebe is going to be walkin' dogs and sittin' pets for our company, Everything & The Dog    She will still be knittin' her wonderful toys, and I guessing that her clients are going to be getting some perks from this relationship.     I wonder if she can drive to Leesburg and take care of me?   I could use some new balls.

Love,

Bob

Bob, The Famous Weather-Dog

2010-02-03T16:20:00Z

I have a new job. Another job, I should say.

I'm going to be the Mt. Gilead Weather-Dog and I'll let everyone know if it is going to snow.    Don't you think that's a great idea? Since I am already the PitBull Boy Bloginator Reporter Extra Ordinary, I don't think it will be too much work to be a Weather-Dog.

So.   Here is my first back-cast   (forecasting is only one part of being a weather-dog, back-casting is equally important)     It snowed last night.   A lot.      This morning, WillowBee flipped Lilly Bug onto her back and used her as a snow plow in our back yard. HA.    My sister said she was able to get a photo of Lilly, just before WillowBee ambushed her.



And guess what else?

We are going to get snow again this week-end.    I have heard from good sources that this may be a big as the Big Storm of March, 1958. Because I am a trained reporter and I wanted to know what happened in the past, I found this wonderful place to have your Mouse Person take you, so you can read all about Washington Area Winters: A Record

There is so much valuable information about Winter Storms that I hardly know where to begin.     So it might be best if you flew away and read all about it for yourself. I like the opening paragraph, cause it tells you what our area's biggest storms are called.   They are evidently called "Nor'easters".       I think that sounds more scary than Storm of the Century, frankly.

Washington's biggest winter storms are the great "Nor'easters". They get their name from the powerful northeast winds they produce. In order for a nor'easter to give Washington a large amount of snow, there must first be a source of cold air. High pressure builds over New England. The high's arctic air mass spreads south into the Washington area. The dense, cold air tries to move west over the Appalachian Mountains, but it can not. It remains trapped on the east side funneling south over the coastal plain. East of the arctic air lies the warm water of the Gulf Stream. The contrast of the cold air sinking into the Carolinas and warm air off the Carolina Coast creates a breeding ground for storms. Combine the strong temperature contrast with other meteorological conditions such as the right position of the jet stream, and a storm's development can become "explosive" (a sudden, rapid intensification; a dramatic drop in the central pressure of the storm). Some meteorologists refer to this as a "bomb".

Yippers. A BOMB!

So just in case that the 2-legged weathermen are right, I suggest we all go to the Pet Store as soon as possible and stock up on kibble.     Just in case the WEATHER BOMB gets dropped on us, we want to be prepared.

Love and Licks,

Bob
......new job as a weather-dog

................. sharing the Snow News from the Deck in the Yard, where it is safe.

The Today Show: This Friday

2010-02-02T14:59:00Z

Oh my gosh, our friends Luke, Hudson and Murphy of 2Dogs 2000Miles are now going to be FAMOUS. Really. Truly. Here is what my Uncle Erich (the best Uncle on earth), just sent us about Luke and 'da boys.

Set your TiVo, pop in a video, get the DVR ready! On Friday, February 5th , because Luke, Hudson, and Murphy will be appearing, in the flesh and fur, right there on your TV on the "Today Show"!

Two weeks ago Jill Rappaport, TODAY Entertainment Correspondent, did a taped interview with Luke and The Boys. You may remember Jill from her wonderful story about her dog Jack who also had bone cancer: http://allday.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/23/1904991.aspx and http://allday.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/03/29/104471.aspx . I'm not sure how much of the taped interview will be used but Luke reports that he and The Boys will be appearing live on the show, this coming Friday! Stay tuned to hear Luke talk about some of their adventures and announce what's coming next for the Dynamic Trio.

Check your local listings for channel and time and don't miss The Boys! What a fantastic way to start the last leg of their journey to Boston and what lies ahead.

Bravo, Boys! Puppy Up!

We'll be watching.

Erich & His 4 Pack

PLEASE FEEL FREE to cross-post widely!

Important Links:
Our Home Page: http://www.2dogs2000miles.org/
2Dogs Blog: http://2dogs2000miles.blogspot.com/
Puppy Up Blog: http://puppyup.blogspot.com/
Facebook Direct Link: http://www.facebook.com/2dogs2000miles

Contact Ginger for host homes and product orders: ginger@2dogs2000miles.org
Contact Erich concerning Daily & Blog questions: erich@2dogs2000miles.org
We welcome your thoughts, opinions, comments & questions: feedback@2dogs2000miles.org
Every dog with cancer has a story. Send us yours at: puppyupstories@2dogs2000miles.org
To order your 2010 Calendar: https://co.clickandpledge.com/advanced/default.aspx?wid=30140
Puppy Up! goodies available at: http://www.2dogs2000miles.org/puppyup.html

Please support the Sponsors who support our walk:
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Wagatha's Organic Dog Treats: http://www.wagathas.com/
Halo: http://www.halopets.com/
Vectra 3D: http://www.summitvetpharm.com/
Whole Earth Provisions Company: http://www.wholeearthprovision.com/

__._,_.___

Is this not just the most wonderful news in the entire world? We already know all about the wonderful work that Luke and 'da boys are doing to help research the awful cancer bugs, but now a LOT more people will know about them.

We are so excited and the mouse in the TiVO box has been given his assignment.

We will be watchin'

Love and LIcks,

Bob
Boy Bloginator
PitBull Reporter Extra Ordinary



Here they are!   And looking very clean too!     Trust me, they aren't always this neat and tidy. HA

My Long Lost Brother?

2010-01-30T15:49:00Z

This is incredible!   At least I think so.

Our fine company Everything & The Dog has a new client and guess what?   I think he might be one of my Long Lost Brothers.

Look at Zeke!



This picture was sent to us by Zeke's Mom because my Omi (Grandmother) will be taking care of Zeke and his friends Kymani and Nikki.     I think this is Kymani who Zeke is presently asleep on top of. My Omi came home to me after she had met Zeke and said that she had found my brother.

So I sent this picture of me to our nice, new client, and asked her if she thought I looked like her Zeke.    Voila!   Back came the proof positive.



I'm wondering if the inside of Zeke's ears and his nose turn pink when he is finding out about something new?   LIke mine do.

Anyway!   WELCOME TO ZEKE AND HIS NEW FAMILY.     My Omi and my Uncle Rick will take good care of you and maybe someday we will meet each other.

Love and LIcks,

Bob
Boy Blogging PitBull Extra Ordinary
.......... and staying inside today cause it is snowing

Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2010-01-28T16:18:00Z

We are supposed to get some snow this week-end, but I am thinking it will be nothing compared to the Blizzard of 2009 which we had on December 19th.      I never really got the chance to talk about that Blizzard at the time because I suppose my Mom had some lousy excuse or another as to why I couldn't borrow her thumbs to do some Blogging.      Probably she was hiding under the blankies while WillowBee, Lilly Bug and I were all out playing in the snow.

So anyway, I thought it might be fun for you to see HOW MUCH SNOW we got in December here in Leesburg, Virginia.    Of course, I fully realize this is NADA compared to some states like Montana and Wyoming or maybe even Vermont where my friend, Tracie Hotchner lives.      But it was a LOT for us Virginia people.

                                  So here are some pictures for you to see us playing IN THE BLIZZARD.

this is me and Willow playing chase!



Then we saw those pesky squirrels................ quick head turn into their direction



Willow ran to get Lilly cause we were having so much fun (except, see ---- my nose is starting to glow!)



Lilly Bug, being a BullDog, has quite short legs and so at first, she was sticking right by the house, but after a little bit, she couldn't stand it any longer and decided to join us.



I think the toy might have gotten the worst of this game of "gimme"

   And finally, Mom called and said we had all better come inside.   I think my nose was glowing like Rudolph by this time and my paws were very frosty.    But it was a fun, fun day.

So we are hoping for some more snow to play in this week-end, but judging by the weatherman a little bit ago, it might not materialize.      People here in Virginia get very panicky when they think there will be some snowing going on.     It's impossible to buy milk, eggs, bread or water at the grocery stores and of course the stores and even the banks are closing.    Mom said that if the banks and the stores and the schools in Montana closed every time it snowed that the economy would go South pretty quick.

I'll keep you posted about the weather!

Love and Licks,

Blogging Bob, Boy PitBull Reporter of the Weather

Some Breed Humor

2010-01-27T15:47:00Z

One of our wonderful Everything & The Dog clients, sent me this list and I think it's pretty darn funny. Let's hear from everyone to see if we can make the list longer!

Love and Licks,

Bob
Boy PitBull Blogger Extra Ordinary

The following new combination dog breeds are now recognized by the AKC:

Collie + Lhasa Apso
Collapso, a dog that folds up for easy transport

Spitz + Chow Chow
Spitz-Chow, a dog that throws up a lot

Pointer + Setter
Poinsetter, a traditional Christmas pet

Malamute + Pointer
Moot Point, owned by....oh, well, it doesn't matter anyway

Great Pyrenees + Dachshund
Pyradachs, a puzzling breed

Pekingnese + Lhasa Apso
Peekasso, an abstract dog

Irish Water Spaniel + English Springer Spaniel
Irish Springer, a dog fresh and clean as a whistle

Labrador Retriever + Curly Coated Retriever
Lab Coat Retriever, the choice of research scientists

Newfoundland + Basset Hound
Newfound Asset Hound, a dog for financial advisors

Terrier + Bulldog
Terribull, a dog that makes awful mistakes

Bloodhound + Labrador
Blabador, a dog that barks incessantly

Collie + Malamute
Commute, a dog that travels to work

Deerhound + Terrier
Derriere, a dog that's true to the end

Bull Terrier + Shitzu
Bull..... Oh, never mind